Studio couch



March 14, 1939. M FOX 2,150,879

' S T U D I O C O U CH March 14, 1939. M. FOX 2,150,879

STUDIO COUCH Filed Oct. 9, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 All PatentediMar. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STUDIO COUCH nois Application October 9, 1936, Serial No. 104,794

Claims.

This invention relates in general to a folding bed structureof the studio couch type in which there is a fixed section open at the front and a collapsible section movable into and out of the space below the fixed section and raisable at the front thereof to provide a mattress support for a bed of full width.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide a collapsible section of novel structure supported only by crossed levers at the ends; to insure that opposite ends of the collapsible structure will be raised and lowered at the same time; to maintain the collapsible structure in parallel relation and at a fixed distance with respect to the fixed section; to provide a closure for the opening at the front of the fixed section when the collapsed section is moved thereunder; to mount a front closure panel so that it will be held in upright position at the raised and lowered positions of the collapsible section; to reduce the weight and simplify the supporting structure of a collapsible section; and in general to provide the structure herein shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective of fixed and collapsible studio couch sections in their extended or bed position; I

Fig. 2 is an end view on an enlarged scale in collapsed or studio couch position; and

Fig. 3 is an end view on an enlarged scale of the collapsed section in intermediate raised position.

In producing a studio couch it is customary to provide a cumbersome box frame for supporting a relatively fixed mattress section and to provide a movable section which is placed parallel to the fixed section to form a bed. In the present invention it is proposed to make these relatively fixed and movable sections of light-weight but strong 0 and rigid metallic frames so that mattress sections or cushions of great depth can be applied thereto without making the studio couch objectionably high as a seat, and also so that there is suflicient space below the fixed section for receiving the movable. section and a mattress section of suitable height which is supported thereby. The present invention also overcomes these objections by providing a collapsible couch section which folds to relatively compact dimensions but which is easily and quickly raised or lowered and moved into or from below the fixed section so that the structure may be quickly changed to a bed or a seat from'either of the other positions.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the fixed section comprises a marginal frame 5 supported by front and rear legs 6 and I with a connecting cross piece 8 between the rear legs but not at the front. In the frame is a flexible mattress supporting fabric 9 connected to the frame in a well known manner by helical springs Hi.

The collapsible section comprises a frame having end pieces H connected by front and rear rails 52 and i3 for receiving a flexible mattress supporting fabric l4 similar to that in the fixed frame, attached in a well known manner by helical springs l5.

The frame I2 is supported at the ends only by pairs of crossed levers l6 and I? having a pivot I8 intermediate their ends and the upper end of one lever of each pair being connected at the front of the frame by a fixed pivot I 9. The upper. end of the other lever of each pair is connected by a pivot 20 in a slot 2| at the rear side of the frame i l to have a pivoted and sliding connection.

At the lower ends of the levers l6 and ll are rollers 22 which allow a free movement of this section upon the floor. Extending between the lowerends of the levers l! at opposite ends of the frame is a connecting cross bar 23 and extending between the lower ends of the levers it at the rear thereof is a cross bar 24. Also connecting the lower ends of both levers at each end of the frame is a spring 25, the extremities being connected directly to the levers themselves or to the bars 23 and 2d attached to the levers.

To operate the crossed levers for raising and lowering the same, an operating lever 26 is pivoted intermediate the ends of each end piece II and intermediate its ends it has a pivot 21 connected to one end of a link 28, the other end of which is connected to the pivot 20 which slidably pivots the upper end of the lever l1.

When the operating lever 26 is turned on its pivot to move the upper end of the lever I1 to one end of its slot, the section is collapsed and when it is moved to the other end of the slot the frame is raised. In moving the operating lever to raise the frame the pivot 21 for the link 28 is moved below the line connecting the pivotal mounting of the operating lever and the sliding pivot 20, as shown in Fig. 1, thus constituting a lock for the operating lever when it is moved against a stop 29 on the end frame H to limit the downward movement of the operating lever. When the operating lever is in this position the mattress supporting frame is locked in its raised position and cannot be released until the operating lever is raised to move the pivot 21 away from the stop 29 and above the line connecting the pivot of the lever 26 and the pivot 20. Thus the frame is locked against collapsing and will maintain its raised position until positively released by-the operating lever.

The operating levers 26 at opposite ends of the frame are connected for joint operation by a bar 30 which forms the pivot upon which the operating levers are rotated in the frame. In order to close the space at the front of the fixed frame section when the movable section is housed thereunder, a panel 3| which may be upholstered, is carried by the movable frame and approximately closes the space below the fixed frame. As there is no fixed lower frame this panel or front board is attached at each end to an angle bar 32 which forms a connecting link with another link 33 to which it is pivoted. The lower end of the link 32 is pivoted to a bracket 34 attached to the lower end of supporting lever l1 and the upper end of the link 33 is pivoted to a bracket 35 attached to the front of the end piece ll. These links are so proportioned that when the collapsible frame is in its raised position as shown in Fig. l, the front I board will be supported in vertical upright position, and when the crossed levers i6 and II are moved to collapsed position as shown in Fig. 2,

the front board will also be in vertical position to close the space at the front of the fixed panel, but in any intermediate position as shown by Fig. 3, the front board will be more or less inclined, depending upon the position of the levers as shown in Fig. 3.

In order to maintain the sections parallel with each other and to limit the extended movement of the collapsed section, they are connected by parallel lazy-tongs levers 36 and 31 which have fixed pivotal connections with the cross bars 8 and 24 at one end of the fixed and movable frames, and

pivotal and sliding connections 38 and 39 respectively with the other ends of the cross bars 24 and 8, the pivotal connection with the bar 24 permitting a limited rotation thereof as the levers l6 to which it is connected are raised and lowered.

In operation the movable section is simply pulled out from below the fixed section, the raisable frame or a mattress section 40 secured thereto is grasped and raised,.or the operating lever 26 at either end is actuated and both levers are turned over against their end stops 29. This brings the top of the mattress section 40 to the level of a mattress section I supported by the fixed frame and as the movable section is limited by its lazy-tongs parallel levers it will be maintained in fixed relation to the fixed section. The raising and'lowering movement of the movable section is easily effected by reason of the engagement of the rollers .22 with the floor and because of the counter-balancing springs which are proportioned to approximately counter-balance the weight of the mattress carried by the collapsible section. K

To collapse the front sectionitis necessary to positively actuate'either one of the levers 26 to move both levers away from their stops 23 and release the lock which it forms.

A couchconstruction of this type is quickly and easily set up to form a bed or collapsed from bed form to form a couch and 'both'mattress supporting sections being formed of light metal bars, the structure is extremely strong and durable.

I claim:

1. A studio couch comprising a fixed section having atop cushion support with a front opening below it; a collapsible section including a cushion support and crossed supporting legs at their ends movable through the opening below the fixed top support, means to connect and keep the sections parallel during such movement; a board to cover the front opening of the fixed section pivoted at the bottom to two corresponding supporting legs at opposite ends and having links 2. A structure in accordance with claim I in which the lower extremities of the crossed legs at each end are connected by a spring which tends to raise the cushion support and to flexibly oppose the collapsing of the section.

3. A structure in accordance with claim 1 in which the means to keep the sections parallel comprises crossed levers pivoted together intermediate their ends and pivotally connected at their corresponding ends to the fixed section and at their opposite ends to a crosspiece connecting the lower extremities of legs at opposite ends of the collapsible section which is rocked transversely as the legs raise and lower the movable cushion support, the connection with" said crosspiece being sufiiciently loose to permit a limited rotation thereof. I v

4. A structure in accordance with claim 1 in which the crossed supporting legs at each end have rollers at their lower ends for direct contact with a supporting surface, and the upper end of one leg only has a pivoted and sliding connection with the cushion support, the other leg having a fixed pivotal connection with the cushion support, and an operating lever at each end pivoted to the cushion support between the connections of the legs thereto and connected for direct operation with the operating lever at the other end, and each operating lever having a link connecting it with the upper end of the corresponding leg which has the pivoted and sliding connection for raising and lowering the cushion support on said legs, the lever being bent to carry its connection with the link past the line joining the pivots of r the lever and the other end of the link for locking the lever in its raised position, and a stop on the cushion support to limit the locking movement of raisable support; the raisable support comprising a pair of crossed levers pivoted intermediate their ends and attached to the frame at each end thereof; the upper end of one of the crossed levers having a fixed pivotal connection with the front of the frame and the upper end of the other crossed lever having a pivotal and sliding connection with the rear of the frame, a front board to cover the. space below the front of the fixed section when the collapsible section is moved under it, a pair of links supporting the front board at each end of the frame, the links being pivoted together and the free end of one link being pivoted to the frame adjacent its front, and the free end of the other link being pivoted to the lower end of one of the crossed levers below the front of the frame; means for moving the crossed levers toward and from each other in raising and lowering the frame, and the said link connection for the front board supporting it in vertical position when the frame is raised and when the frame is collapsed, but rocking the front board forwardly in any intermediate position in raising and lowering the frame.

MARTm FOX. 

